Global vehicle manufacturing giant Ford has called on policymakers, energy providers, local authorities, consumers and the auto industry to join forces on a electrification strategies to set the right trajectory for 2030, when the production of combustion engined cars is due to end.

Since February, Ford has announced significant investments across Europe as it goes all-in on electrification, committing its entire passenger vehicle range to being all-electric by 2030, and to the majority of its commercial vehicles sales being all-electric or plug-in hybrid in the same timeframe. However, the company says that individual actions are not enough and that a coordinated effort is needed to help consumers move to an electrified future.

Commenting about the current UK positions, which has similar policy objectives and timescales to Ireland, Stuart Rowley, president, Ford of Europe, said, “At Ford, we’re putting our plan into action. The electrification transition is underway, but we will not achieve the Government’s 2030 target organically. We need a plan, supporting the rollout of electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles, in operation ahead of November’s critical COP26 climate summit.” He added, “The scale of the challenge requires a partnership between all the key stakeholders – Government, auto industry, energy providers, local authorities and consumers – and focusing on accelerating the development of the charging infrastructure at home, in the workplace and in public locations. It also should encourage consumers to purchase all-electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles through stronger incentives.”  

Ford’s announcement comes as the first in its series of quarterly consumer sentiment reports, Go Electric, reveals widespread lack of awareness and hesitancy towards electrified vehicles and their ecosystems among drivers. While the report shows appetite for electric vehicles is increasing, with 28% of respondents saying they plan to buy an electric vehicle within the next five years, a substantial proportion of drivers still have reservations. More than one in five say they have no intention of buying an electric vehicle, while a further fifth said they would not buy an electric vehicle until they have no other option.

Ford’s research also suggests that consumer acceptance is a key obstacle to overcome, with the Go Electric report pointing to an apparent lack of information around EV technology.  61% of drivers surveyed said they did not feel they have enough information to make an informed decision on purchasing an electric vehicle. When asked how confident they were about electric vehicle technology, more than half said they did not know the difference between electrified vehicle types, while four out of five said they would not be comfortable explaining electric vehicles to a friend.